A Change of Priorities
by Misha
Summary: While Daniel is in jail awaiting his trial for Tyler's murder, Emily gets news that will change everything. Season One AU.
1. Chapter 1

A Change of Priorities  
By Misha

 _Disclaimer- I don't any of it, if I did, it would have been a very different ending. I'm just borrowing the characters for a while and I'm not making any money off of this._

 _A.N- I recently powered my way through Revenge and I fell in love with Daniel and Emily. I realized pretty early on that they weren't going to end up together, but I wanted them to so badly and my mind started thinking of alternate endings for them. This is one of the ones I came up with, a chance pregnancy early on changing everything for them. I had to guess a bit with the timeline, but I think I did ok. This is 100% Demily and takes place in the first season of Revenge. Some things will be the same (and some dialogue is borrowed from the show) but some will change drastically. Writers live for feedback, especially when trying something new, so let me know what you think!_

Pairing- Daniel/Emily.

 _Summary- While Daniel is in jail awaiting his trial for Tyler's murder, Emily gets news that will change everything. Season One AU._

 _Rating- PG-13_

 _Spoilers- A little bit of everything, but especially season one._

* * *

Chapter One

Emily stared at the pregnancy test in her hand.

Positive.

The two pink lines seemed to be mocking her and all her careful plans. It was just the latest in a series of complications. It had seemed so easy a few months ago, but in the last few weeks everything had veered off course.

First there was Tyler's murder and then all the fallout from that. Like the fact that that Daniel was about to face trial for murder and here she was, pregnant with his baby. Another complication.

She wanted to destroy the Grayson family, not help continue their legacy. While she had come to see realize that Daniel was different than his parents, it didn't change anything between them. Their relationship wasn't real, it couldn't be. She'd do her best to make sure she didn't go to jail, but there was no happy ever after for them.

But, somehow, there was going to be a baby.

Emily wasn't sure how it had happened. She had been so careful. She'd been on the pill and she'd always made sure she and Daniel had used protection. Well, most of the time. After the engagement they had gotten careless a couple times. It wasn't like Emily, but reckless passion had been part of the game and she'd been confident in her birth control. Apparently it had been a serious miscalculation on her part.

One of many, it would seem.

For the first time she was starting to think that she had gotten in over her head. She didn't have any idea how to deal with any of the things that were happening. Amanda was missing, Takeda was manipulating the situation to teach her a lesson, and Daniel was in jail… What had seemed so easy six months ago was now turning into a giant mess. And now there was an innocent child involved.

Emily glanced at the letter on the table, the one Daniel had sent her, asking her to believe in him. As much as she tried to keep her emotions out of this situation, it was hard not to be affected by the letter, and not just because of pregnancy hormones, but because Daniel was an innocent victim in all this… The way her father had been. After all, just like her father, Daniel's biggest mistake had been loving the wrong woman, and like her father, it could cost him his freedom and maybe his life.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Emily put the pregnancy test down and stood up and walked to the door. She wasn't surprised to see Nolan standing on the other side, holding a bakery box.

"Croissan'which?" He offered and then sighed. "When was the last time you ate or slept for that matter?"

Emily wasn't sure. It was probably one of the reasons it had taken her so long to realize that she was pregnant, actually. "I don't have time for sleep," she argued. "Daniel's about to stand trial for murder and Victoria's circling Amanda as a patsy."

"Well you've got to give her points for consistency," Nolan joked and then he turned serious, "but if Amanda resurfaces, the second they pick her up and she gets arrested, the whole story will come out and it's going to be over for you."

Emily knew that he was right and she also knew that the stakes had just gotten higher, because it was no longer just her revenge plot on the line. Now her baby's future was at risk.

"Takeda has her," Emily reminded him, "She's secure."

"For now, but if he finds out that you're going against him by trying to clear Daniel's name, well Takeda might just release the kraken." Nolan pointed out.

"I'll deal with it." Emily told him crossly. She wondered fleetingly what Takeda would think of her news, but decided she'd deal with that when the time came. _One thing at a time_ , she reminded herself.

Nolan picked Daniel's letter up off the table. "Wow. Déjà vu." He said with a humorless chuckle. "I wonder what kind of box he'll make you in prison."

"Or what kind of box he'll make his son or daughter?" Emily told him, holding out the pregnancy test.

Nolan just stared at it. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Emily told him. "History does like to repeat itself."

"This certainly makes things more complicated," Nolan pointed out, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Emily told him honestly. "Except… I'm keeping the baby. I know that." There wasn't any other option. Not for her. Her family had been ripped away from her once, she wasn't going to let that happen again. "But I don't know what to do about the rest."

"If Daniel's convicted, then you're going to be raising the child of a felon." Nolan pointed out. "And history really will be repeating itself."

"I won't let that happen," Emily told him adamantly. She'd already been determined to clear Daniel's name, but now… Now she had even more incentive to do so. Her father's imprisonment and the notoriety of being David Clarke's daughter had destroyed her childhood.

In a lot of ways, everything good and kind about her had been destroyed along with her father's good name. She didn't want that kind of life for her child.

She wasn't sure how she really felt about Daniel. It was hard to separate, even in her own thoughts, what was truth and what was lie, but her feelings for her child were much clearer. This child was her family and she would do anything to protect it.

For a moment Emily wondered how Victoria had felt during David's trial, when she'd been pregnant with Charlotte. Like with Daniel and Emily, it had been Victoria's actions that had led to David's arrest. However the big difference was that Emily wasn't going to turn her back on Daniel the way Victoria had with David. No, she was going to do whatever she had too to make sure that he went free.

"I guess we're going to have to do our best to make sure Danny boy doesn't rot in jail," Nolan assured her, obviously guessing the direction of her thoughts. "After all, I can't let my honorary niece or nephew grow up without a father."

* * *

That afternoon Emily went to see her doctor and have a blood test done. She needed official confirmation of her pregnancy before she could decide how to proceed.

The next day she got a call from the doctor's office, confirming that the blood test had been positive and giving her the time for her ultrasound appointment, later that same afternoon. During her appointment with the doctor, it had been suggested as Emily wasn't 100% positive on her dates.

Given Daniel's incarceration and the events of the last few weeks, Emily knew that she had to be at least 7 weeks pregnant, if not more. After all, almost a month had passed since the engagement party and Daniel's arrest, so had to have gotten pregnant shortly before that point.

Thinking back, Emily realized that she'd skipped at least one period, but with the stress of Tyler's murder and Daniel's arrest, not to mention trying to keep her revenge plot from exploding around her, she hadn't paid much attention. Plus, as Nolan had pointed out, she hadn't really been eating or sleeping since Daniel's arrest. So it made sense that she might have missed any signs.

"That's your baby," the ultrasound tech pointed out a few hours later, "you seem to be just over 8 weeks along, Miss Thorne."

Emily stared at the image. Her baby. For the first time since she was nine years old, she had a family of her own. The thought suddenly occurred to her that the Graysons had been responsible for destroying her first family and now for creating this new one. It was not a comforting thought.

"Can I have a picture?" Emily asked the tech. "I want to take it to show my fiancé."

She had arranged to go to Riker's Island to see Daniel that afternoon and she thought taking him the ultrasound picture was the best way to share the news.

"Of course." The tech assured her. Her demeanor was sympathetic as she handed Emily the print out. After all, everyone had heard about Daniel's arrest. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Emily said, tucking it into her purse and then she headed towards her car and prepared to go to see Daniel.

* * *

"God I miss you." Daniel told her as soon as she was brought into see him.

"I miss you too." Emily assured him, pressing her hand against the glass, resting against the image of his. He was so close and yet so far away. "Are you okay? You look tired."

"Yeah, I'm okay." Daniel said and then made a face. "It's just like camp, only instead of people telling guest stories around a fire, they just kind of scream all night from their cells."

Emily winced. "I'll get you some earplugs."

"Don't bother." Daniel told her. "Someone might think I'm getting special treatment. I don't want to draw any more attention to myself. I'm already getting enough."

Emily knew exactly how he felt. She remembered what it was like to be in juvie and having to deal with the notoriety of being David Clarke's daughter. Of course, she couldn't share that part with Daniel, but she could give him a few tips.

"There are ways to stay safe," she counselled him, "Keep your head up; don't look down, but don't stare either. And don't gamble. You don't want to own anyone anything."

"You can take the girl out of juvie," Daniel joked.

Emily smiled. "Thank you for your letter," she said softly, "but you don't have to worry. I'm always going to be here by your side and so is your family."

As much she hated to even think anything nice about Victoria or Conrad, she couldn't fault their devotion to their son. Especially Victoria. Emily had a feeling that the other woman would do anything to make sure Daniel went free.

Daniel smiled ruefully. "Well at least one good thing has come out of this," he joked, "my fiancé and mother have finally found common ground."

Emily laughed despite herself. "More than you know." She told him, reaching into her purse. "But when I said your family, I wasn't talking about just or parents and Charlotte. I meant our baby too." She held the ultrasound image up for Daniel to see.

He blinked. "You're pregnant?"

"About 8 weeks along," Emily confirmed. "The baby is due at the end of April. I only found out yesterday. I've been so preoccupied that I didn't even realize I was late. I've barely been sleeping and only eating when Nolan forces me to."

Daniel seemed stunned by her news.

"If… If I get convicted, then I want you to promise me that you'll take the baby and go somewhere safe." Daniel told her quietly. "I don't want the baby growing up with a father who's in prison."

"That's not going to happen." Emily said sternly, putting the picture away. "You're going to beat these charges, I know it. We're going to make it through this and you and I will raise our baby together. I promise you that."


	2. Chapter 2

A Change of Priorities  
By Misha

 _Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Two

After leaving the prison, Emily returned to her beach house and walked along the beach, her brain a jumble of unpleasant thoughts. Mostly, she was worried about Daniel. His trial was still two months away and two months in prison…

Emily remembered all too well what juvenile detention had been like and how being Amanda Clarke, and the notoriety that came with the name, had made things so much worse for her. She knew that it would be the same for Daniel, perhaps even worse, because he wasn't in a juvenile facility with a bunch of teenage girls, but a state prison with a lot of hardened criminals.

Of course, the judge had promised to reconsider bail if anything happened to Daniel… Emily had toyed with the idea of making something happen, just to make sure he was safe, but she couldn't go through with it.

She'd inadvertently caused Jack to receive a beating, something she still felt guilty about, she couldn't purposely do the same to Daniel. So, they would just have to wait and hope that the two months passed quickly and then she would do everything she had to make sure that he didn't go to prison.

Emily sighed. There was too many pieces to this puzzle and she was having a hard time keeping track of them all. She had to protect Daniel and keep him out of prison, but she also need to keep Jack safe.

There was also the issue of preserving her identity as Emily Thorne. That was actually more important than ever. It was no longer about her revenge quest, but instead about protecting her future. Or rather, her child's future.

She knew that her child would be better off being raised by Emily Thorne, then by Amanda Clarke. There was still too much notoriety and negativity attached to that name. No, she needs to stay the mysterious socialite, who's only dark secret is a time in juvie. It's the best thing for her child.

And so is making sure that Daniel doesn't go to prison. Emily knows better than anyone how important it is for a child to have a father. Despite his upbringing, Emily had faith that Daniel would be a good father. She just had to make sure he had a chance to prove it.

She smiled, remember the tears in his eyes when she'd shown him the ultrasound photo and his worry that his child wouldn't know him. The way he had instructed her to do what she had to protect their child and keep him or her away from the mess that was currently their lives. It had given her hope that she wasn't wrong about Daniel, that he was different from his parents.

Emily was jolted out of her thoughts by the ringing of her phone. "Hello?"

"Emily." Victoria, of course. "Mason Treadwell is on his way over and since this little scheme is your idea, I assume that you would want to be there to fill him in."

"Of course." Emily confirmed. "I'll be right there."

She hung up her phone and sighed. She wondered if there would ever be a time when she wasn't constantly scheming and plotting. Revenge had seemed like the best course once upon a time, but now… Now she understood how complex it really was and how easy it was to lose herself in the process.

The problem was, she was in too deep. Even if she abandoned her quest for revenge, and she wasn't willing to do that because she still believed that Victoria and Conrad needed to pay, it wouldn't be over. She'd still have to spend her the rest of her life making sure the lies didn't blow up in her face.

"Your life will be different," she promised her baby, resting her hand on her still flat stomach, "I'm going to make sure my lies don't touch you and that you have the perfect childhood. Your father and I will both make sure of that."

Though silently Emily vowed to make sure that childhood didn't include grandparents. She was going to do her best to make sure that Conrad and Victoria never came near her child.

* * *

Emily made nice with Treadwell and spelled her idea of a blog, which Ashley promised to oversee. It was nice to see that at least one person was acting predictably.

Emily had always known that Ashley was very ambitious and that she could be counted on to do anything to help make a name for herself. It made her a very helpful ally, even if that wasn't her intention.

"How was Daniel?" Victoria asked Emily after Treadwell had left. "I know you went to see him."

"He's doing as well as can be expected," Emily told her. "He's not sleeping well."

"I offered to bring him some ear plugs, but he doesn't any special treatment," Emily confided, "I think he's worried about the notoriety." She bit her lip. "I have to admit, I'm worried about that as well."

"Me too." Victoria told her, pain and worry evident on her face. It was the most genuine emotion Emily had ever seen her display.

Victoria took one of Emily's hands in hers. "Thank you for standing by my son."

"I love Daniel and I will **always** stand by him," Emily assured her. She wondered how Victoria would react to the news about the baby, but it was only a fleeting thought. Emily wasn't ready to make an announcement, so she and Daniel had agreed not to tell anyone until after the first trimester.

Besides, she thought she'd let Daniel have the pleasure of telling his mother that she'd be a grandmother. Though the look on her face would likely be **very** satisfying.

"He's lucky to have you." Victoria told her and it only sounded slightly insincere.

Emily noticed that Victoria was studying her intently, as if reassessing her, and realized that Victoria's conviction that she was lying about her feelings might be wavering.

"He's lucky to have you too," Emily told her enemy, "Daniel has a strong support system and we're all going to be there for him and help him through this horrible time. He knows that and I think it helps."

"But it doesn't get him out of that horrible place," Victoria countered, "in fact, I worry that the family name is doing him more harm than good. He's in danger every moment he spends in there, I just know it."

Emily was taken aback by the glint in Victoria's eye and the determination in her voice. She had a feeling that Victoria was up to something, but what?

Could Victoria have the same idea that she did? That if they hired someone to rough Daniel up, it would get him promotion? It was a crazy idea, too far out even for Emily, but then Victoria had long since established that she was ruthless.

Emily considered the idea and then dismissed it. Victoria was the monster of her childhood, the villain of her story, and she was a cold, evil woman, but there was no denying that she loved her children. Especially Daniel, and Emily just couldn't imagine a situation where Victoria would willingly put him in danger…


	3. Chapter 3

A Change of Priorities  
By Misha

 _Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Three

Two days later, Emily learnt that she'd apparently underestimated Victoria.

Or at least it appeared that way as she found herself standing in the visitor's area of Riker's prison, along with Victoria, meeting with Daniel's attorney. She'd rushed to the prison after getting the call that Daniel had been attacked.

"How is he?" Victoria demanded.

"He sustained a concussion, two cracked ribs and a small fracture to his left orbital bone." Mr. Brooks told them.

Emily gasped. "My god." She felt the bile rise in her throat and had to fight the urge to throw up. She wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy or the idea of what poor Daniel had gone through. Maybe a bit of both.

"You said that if he faced a life-threatening condition that the judge reconsider bail." Victoria reminded the lawyer. "Clearly, the conditions in this godforsaken place are exactly that." Victoria's voice rose. "He could have been killed."

"I've already spoken with the judge," Brooks assured her, "In the light of the attack and Daniel's growing celebrity, she's agreed to revisit my argument on house arrest. With any luck, he should be home as soon as tomorrow."

Emily felt a wave of relief at the words. Daniel was coming home, where he'd be safe. At least temporarily.

"The sooner, the better." Victoria sniped.

Just then the lawyer's phone rang. "Excuse me," he said before stepping away to take the call.

"Who on Earth would do a thing like this to Daniel?" Victoria demanded.

Emily fought the urge to roll her eyes as she turned to face her soon-to-be mother-in-law. "I don't know." She said sincerely, meeting Victoria's gaze. There wasn't a hint of guilt in the older woman's eyes, just anguish.

But then, she had always know that Victoria was an incredible liar and despite her outraged act, Emily was convinced that Daniel's mother had arranged for his beating. After all, Victoria wasn't above using extreme measures to get what she wanted, and as she'd said, who would attack Daniel?

Yes, his name put him at risk, but this attack… It seemed too deliberate. Her personal experience was that attacks aimed at the notorious tended to be a little more subtle, just enough to make a point.

"Do you need a ride home?" Emily asked, though the idea of driving anywhere with Victoria sounded like torture.

"No," Victoria declined, "Conrad's staying with Charlotte tonight. I'm going to stay in the city, to be close to Daniel until the judge makes a decision."

And to tie up any lose ends, Emily guessed, knowing that she would need to tail Victoria and see what she was up to. With that in mind, she prepared to follow Victoria out of the prison, but she stopped when Mr. Brooks reappeared.

"Miss Thorne, I'm glad you're still here. I was hoping to talk to you alone." He told her.

"Yes?" Emily asked, wondering if the lawyer was suspicious about Victoria. It seemed odd that he would mention it though, since his job was to look out for Daniel, not to ask questions. So it had to be something else, had Daniel mentioned her pregnancy to his attorney?

"Daniel has requested that I ask the judge to have his house arrest take place at your home instead of Grayson Manor," the lawyer informed her, "Being that you are engaged, it is a reasonable request and the judge will likely comply and I wanted to make sure that you were onboard first. I don't want there to be any sign of dissent."

"His mother would be furious." Emily pointed out. Victoria's reaction would almost make it worth it, except it would be a serious inconvenience for her as it would mean she would be under constant watch. It would make scheming difficult.

"Yes, I told Daniel as much," the lawyer agreed, "but he's worried about being separated from you." He looked at her carefully. "I'm getting the impression that you aren't a fan of the idea. Must I remind you how important it is that you are seen to support Daniel every step of the way?"

"I know and I do," Emily assured him, "I just think that Daniel would be safer at Grayson Manor. I have no security system, no alarm, and it is a much smaller space." However, she understood where Daniel was come, no doubt he was thinking about the baby. A compromise occurred to her. "However, why don't you suggest to Daniel that I move into the pool house with him for the duration of his house arrest? That way we will be together and he'll be safe."

It wasn't perfect, but Emily would make it work. It would placate Daniel and had the added benefit that it would drive Victoria crazy.

* * *

Thankfully Emily's conversation with Mr. Brooks hadn't delayed her too much and she was still able to follow Victoria and figure out what she was up to.

She followed Victoria to a dive bar, which raised alarms all in itself and as she watched the older woman get out of her car and head inside, Emily's phone rang.

She looked at the caller ID quickly. Nolan.

"I can't talk for long," She told him, "I'm busy tailing Victoria."

"Not letting pregnancy slow you down, I see." Nolan pointed out. "How's Daniel?"

"About to be on house arrest," Emily told him, "I'll fill you in later. But I'm going to be residing at Grayson Manor for a while. Daniel wanted to stay at the beach house and I had to come up with a compromise."

"Daniel's presence would have cramped your style," Nolan agreed, "but so will living in the Grayson prison."

"Well, I already have to adjust because of the pregnancy," Emily reminded him, "That means I'm going to be a little more hands off than normal." She wasn't going to risk her baby and that meant being safe and staying out of the way of physical confrontation.

"Good idea," Nolan agreed, "As much as I love your inner-ninja, we need to keep my little niece or nephew safe. Still, even sneaking around to plot with me will be hard with Daniel around all the time."

"I know," Emily said with a sigh, "But I'll figure it out. I think Daniel will understand if I occasionally need to escape to the beach house to get away from his mother."

"I think anyone would understand that urge." Nolan told her with a chuckle. "I'm sure Victoria will be just _thrilled_ when she finds out that you'll be taking up residence."

"It should be interesting," Emily agreed, "speaking of Victoria, I need to go see who she's talking to. I'll talk to you later."

She hung up her phone and headed inside the bar, careful to blend into the crowd. She watched Victoria hand a man an envelope. Emily was too far away to hear the conversation, but it was obvious that Victoria was paying him off.

That meant that Emily's suspicions were likely justified ad that Victoria had paid someone to rough Daniel up. Well, she'd always known Victoria was ruthless and now she had an idea of just _how_ ruthless.

Emily took some discreet pictures, focusing on the face of the nameless man. She needed to be able to identify him, as he was obviously a piece of the puzzle. It seemed unlikely that Victoria would go to a strange for a job this delicate, no she'd go with someone she trusted and had worked with before. Which meant that he could have information that Emily needed, she just had to figure out who he was and how she was going to get said information.

Unfortunately her pregnancy meant that she would have to be more careful than normal, since she refused to put her baby in harm's way. Not to mention that Daniel would likely be watching her like a hawk, as Nolan had pointed out, so her normal methods of getting information were out. She was going to need to figure out a new plan.

Emily sighed as she headed back to her car, this was getting more and more complicated with every passing day. It didn't help that now there was so much more at stake than her secret and her quest for revenge. Like Daniel's life and her baby's future.


	4. Chapter 4

A Change of Priorities  
By Misha

 _Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Four

Early the next morning, Emily was on her porch, staring at the ocean when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Emily, its Conrad."

Emily repressed a shudder. Talking to Conrad actually creeped her out more than making nice with Victoria. Maybe because Victoria made such a good adversary or maybe because her hostility meant that Emily didn't have to play nice, she could let a little of her disdain show. Whereas Conrad had given her no reason for hostility, at least none that the world knew about, so she had to fight to hide her antipathy for him.

"Has the judge made a decision about Daniel?" Emily asked instead.

"Yes, he's being released on 10 million dollars bail," Conrad informed her, "He's on his way home now."

That was good news. Emily let out a sigh of relief. Daniel would be safe. For now.

"Is Victoria coming with him?" She inquired as she moved inside to begin packing a bag for her stay at Grayson Manor.

"I haven't been able to get a hold of her," Conrad told her dismissively, "Obviously our son's freedom isn't as important to her as she pretends. Besides, while Victoria might pretend otherwise, she's not the first person Daniel will want to see when he gets released. You are. I trust you'll be here waiting for him?"

"Of course," Emily assured him and then paused, "Conrad, I hope you and Victoria don't mind, but I actually promised Daniel that if he was released on bail, I'd move in with him for the time being."

"That's a good idea," Conrad told her, "It'll be good for Daniel to have you close and it sends a good message to the press, that you believe in him and will stand by him. You have good instincts, Emily, definitely Grayson material."

There was pride in his voice and it made Emily more nauseous than she already was. Being considered Grayson material was the last thing she wanted. She might have genuine feelings for Daniel, but that didn't change her opinion of his father. She loathed Conrad Grayson and she was committed to bringing him down, but unfortunately it would have to wait until after Daniel's freedom was assured.

"Victoria might object, but she already has to live with the fact that I've moved back in for the duration," Conrad continued, "Besides it's not like this place doesn't have room for one more."

Emily smirked a bit. Poor Victoria, having to live with her estranged husband and the future daughter-in-law that she despised. At least her beloved son would be home and obviously that was all that mattered to Victoria.

"There's no place I'd rather be than Daniel's side," Emily assured Conrad, "I'll be over as soon I finish packing."

* * *

A couple hours later, Emily was standing in the front hall of Grayson Manor, alongside Conrad, watching as Daniel was escorted into the mansion.

"Hi honey," Daniel greeted her, "I'm home."

It was obvious that the greeting took a lot of effort and Emily gasped at the sight of his bruised face and swollen lip. "Oh my god."

She stepped closer to him, intending on embracing him, but was stopped by one of the police officers.

"One second, ma'am." He told her and then turned to Daniel. "This is your EHM bracelet." He put something around Daniel's ankle. "It's a GPS-enabled monitor that confines you to a 5,000-foot radius of the base unit. Tamper with the base or step outside of the perimeter and this light turns from green to red."

"And if that happens?" Conrad asked.

"If that happens he goes back to jail for the duration of his trial." The officer informed them. He turned back to Daniel. "Do you understand these conditions?" Daniel nodded. "Ok. Have a good day."

With that, the two officers left and as soon as they were gone, Emily stepped towards Daniel and wrapped her arms around him, which caused him to wince in pain.

"Oh, God. I'm sorry." She apologized and stepped back, but kept her arm around his neck. "It's ok, you're home now." She assured him.

"Why don't you take Daniel to the pool house?" Conrad suggested after a moment. "You still need to get settled in and he can probably use some rest before the lawyer comes."

"Of course," Emily said, stepping away from Daniel and offering him her hand instead. "You can show me where to put my things."

0

* * *

"You're really okay with staying here?" Daniel asked her once they arrived at the pool house.

"I want to be wherever you are," Emily told him, "and the manor is more secure than my beach house." She made a face. "I don't think your mother knows yet, though, so there could still be an explosion once she finds out."

"I'll deal with my mother." Daniel assured her. "I'll make her understand that I need you close." He looked at her carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not the one who was attacked." Emily admonished.

"No, you're just the pregnant one," Daniel reminded her. He put a hand on her still-flat stomach. "I can't believe it."

"Me either." Emily confided. She placed her hand on top of his. "I'm feeling ok. A little nauseous and I tire more easily, but other than that, no complaints."

"Except that you could end up a single mother before the baby is even born." Daniel pointed out grimly. "What I don't beat this? What if I go to jail?"

"That **won't** happen." Emily told him sternly. "We're all going to do everything in our power to prove your innocence, you have to know that."

"I do know that." Daniel told her. "It's just hard to stay positive when there's so much at stake." He sighed. "This should be the happiest time of our lives and instead we have this black cloud hanging over us."

"No storm lasts forever," Emily told him, "This is only a temporary blip on the radar and once this passes, we'll be able to focus on our baby." She moved her hand and placed in on his face. "You should lay down for a little while before Mr. Brooks get here."

"Will you lay with me?" Daniel asked softly. She could see the circles on his eyes and guessed that he didn't want to be alone. He had spent too much time alone lately.

"Of course," Emily assured him and she placed her hand in his, leading him towards the bedroom.

She watched as he carefully settled down on the bed and saw the effort that it took and she felt a rush of anger towards Victoria. At the same time though, when she took in his haunted eyes, she was grateful that he was out of jail and that was safe. At least for the time being.

Once Daniel was settled, Emily carefully climbed in next to him. Daniel motioned her closer, but she hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you," she said quietly, mindful of his broken ribs.

"You won't," he promised her and then he wrapped his good arm around her, his hand resting possessively over her stomach. Emily settled into his embrace, taking care not to hurt him, but enjoying the moment.

She was usually so wrapped up in her quest for revenge that she never paid attention to the little moments, but just this once she was going to try. She was going to put her plotting and scheming on hold and just be grateful for the fact that Daniel was out of prison and that he was here with her and he was safe. Everything else could wait.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

A Change of Priorities  
By Misha

 _Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Five

Unfortunately the moment couldn't last forever and to Emily it had seemed like no time at all before Conrad appeared to usher them to the main house for a meeting with Daniel's lawyer.

It wasn't a particularly pleasant meeting, thanks to Mason Treadwell's blog report. Emily had felt conflicted about that particular scheme, since it was counterintuitive to her determination to get Daniel off, but she wasn't willing to do it at Jack's expense. There **had** to be way to keep Jack out of this mess and make sure Daniel got off, she just had to find it.

She felt a little bad about exposing Charlotte, but at the same time, Charlotte had brought some of it on herself. Also she wasn't going to risk Jack's safety, not again, not even for her sister. Still she could tell that her little lie had put her back on Victoria's hate list. That is if she'd ever left it.

"You need to rest." Emily told Daniel after the lawyer left, helping him to his feet. Their nap had been short and she knew that Daniel hadn't really slept and neither had she, they'd just laid there in silence, holding each other. Emily figured that they both needed assurance that it was real.

"Come with me?" He asked and she could see the vulnerability on his face. It touched her, more than she liked to admit, and it made her realize how foolish she'd been to think she could undergo her quest revenge and not be affected emotionally.

"Of course," Emily assured him. She turned to Victoria. "I promised Daniel that I would stay with him for the duration of his house arrest. I've already moved my things into the pool house. I assume you don't mind."

She could tell from Victoria's expression that she minded very much.

"Of course not," Conrad assured her, before Victoria could speak, "after all it's what's best for Daniel and that's all any of us want. Plus this place is large enough that one more person won't make a difference."

"Conrad's right," Victoria said with a fake smile, "Whatever's best for Daniel and after all, you are going to be family soon."

Daniel smiled and she could tell that he was thrilled by his mother's acceptance, but Emily knew it was just an act. Victoria still hated her, but for now they were on the same side and they had to act like it. She was sure the gloves would come off as soon as Daniel was out of danger.

"I need a shower," Daniel told her once they'd returned to the pool house.

"Ok." Emily told him.

Daniel turned towards the shower and then paused, obviously hesitant and Emily suddenly remember that his attack had been just outside the shower.

"I can shower with you," She offered, stepping towards him, "you probably shouldn't be stretching too much."

"Thank you," Daniel told her, putting his good hand on her face. "I don't know what I would do without you and your support."

"I will always be here for you." Emily told him and as she did, she realized that the words no longer felt like a lie.

* * *

Daniel looked down at Emily who was fast asleep beside him. It was rare to see her like that, sometimes he thought she never slept, but apparently the pregnancy was taking a lot out of her.

The pregnancy. Daniel still couldn't believe it. They were having a baby. On one hand it was everything he wanted, a life and a family with Emily, but he knew it could be taken away in a heartbeat. If he went to jail for Tyler's murder, his child would never know him. It was heartbreaking.

He decided he needed to get some air and went outside. He was standing on the balcony when his mother came up behind him.

"Can't sleep?" She asked sympathetically.

"Ironic, isn't it?" He asked her. "I'm not in jail anymore, all the helicopters have gone home for the night and now it's too quiet."

"How's the pain?" His mother asked him, placing her hand on his face.

"No worse than the fear." He told her, ducking away from her touch.

"This will all be over soon," his mother told him, "I promise."

"I'm sorry for bringing this down on the family." Daniel told her. Another Grayson scandal and this one was all his fault.

"No, sweetheart, I'm the one who's sorry." His mother said quietly. "In my haste to put together a defense… I left out a suspect."

"What are you talking about?" Daniel demanded, wondering who she was talking about. What suspect had been over-looked?

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that the bullets that killed Tyler came from Emily's gun?" His mother questioned him. "He threatened her. And she had reason to kill him?"

"And to frame me for it?" Daniel asked in disbelief. He knew his mom and Emily didn't exactly get along, but he couldn't believe she was going there.

"You two fought on the beach that night." His mother pointed out.

A fight his mother had provoked. "She didn't kill Tyler." Daniel said adamantly. "I shot him."

"Once." Victoria reminded him. "You were hit on the head and someone finished the job. How do you know she wasn't there?" Daniel stared at her, Victoria obviously took his look for agreement because she pressed on. "You see? That little bit of doubt is enough to get you acquitted."

"No." Daniel told her. "And if I try to cast the blame on my pregnant fiancé I'm going to look like a bigger asshole than everyone already thinks I am."

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

His mother froze. "Pregnant? Emily is pregnant?"

"Yes." Daniel admitted. "But she's not ready to tell people yet. It's still early."

His mother nodded, but he could tell that she wasn't pleased by the news. He would have thought that the idea of a grandchild would fill her with joy, did she really hate Emily that much?

"How delightful." Victoria said finally. "Even more reason to make sure we beat this, you don't want to miss out on time with your child." There was a weird look in her eye as she spoke. She took a deep breath. "You should try and sleep, darling, I'm sure you could use the rest."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek and then she disappeared. Daniel watched her go. He'd have to tell Emily that he slipped up and told his mother the news. Oh, well, it was just one more thing for them to deal with.


End file.
